Automotive vehicles powered by an electric motor or an electric motor and a gasoline engine are commonly referred to as electric vehicles (EV) or hybrid-electric vehicles (HEV). As is well known in the art, such vehicles include batteries for supplying power to the electric motors thereof.
Electric and hybrid-electric vehicles typically provide for charging such batteries using an interface configured to rectify electrical power from a 120 volt or 240 volt alternating current (AC) utility power line for storage by the vehicle batteries. EVs and HEVs also include an inverter for use in converting the direct current (DC) voltage provided by the vehicle batteries to an AC voltage for use in powering the electric motor or motors of the vehicle. Such an inverter may comprise switching modules and a DC link capacitor.
In addition, electric and hybrid-electric vehicles may also include an auxiliary power module. Such a power module may comprise a number of electronic components, which may include transformers, capacitors, bus bars, metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) and other components.
The components of such an auxiliary power module generate heat as a result of their operations. The heat generated as a result of such operations should be dissipated so that the power module may continue to operate efficiently. Such heat generated by the operation of the power modules components may be dissipated using a coldplate provided as part of the module.
In that regard, an exemplary power converter for use in electric or hybrid-electric vehicles is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 7,974,101 entitled “Power Converter.” Exemplary heat dissipating devices, as well as various features thereof, are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 7,864,506 entitled “System And Method Of Film Capacitor Cooling,” U.S. Pat. No. 6,529,394 entitled “Inverter For An Electric Motor,” U.S. Pat. No. 6,466,441 entitled “Cooling Device Of Electronic Part Having High And Low Heat Generating Elements,” U.S. Pat. No. 6,031,751 entitled “Small Volume Heat Sink/Electronic Assembly,” U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0081191 entitled “Anisotropic Heat Spreader For Use With A Thermoelectric Device,” and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0078807 entitled “Power Semiconductor Module Assembly With Heat Dissipating Element.”
However, due to the heat generated as a result of the operation of auxiliary power modules used in an EV or HEV, there exists a need for additional heat dissipation beyond that which may be provided by standard coldplates currently in use with an EV or HEV auxiliary power module. Such a coldplate would include protrusions configured to contact one or more electronic components of the auxiliary power module in order to provide for additional dissipation of the heat generated by operation of that power module.